PN-related

PN-related

PN-related

25 November 2014Comment

The distinguished physicist, astronomer and mathematician, Arthur Eddington, was a First World War conscientious objector and life-long pacifist (and a keen cyclist, devising the Eddington Secondary Number which measures a cyclist’s achievements; his own E-number was 84). One of the pieces Peace News published to mark his death on 22 November 1944 looked at what he’d written to explain his continuing pacifism during the Second World War.

In 1940, the Ministry of Information published a leaflet containing extracts from articles or statements by Dr CEM Joad, Bertrand Russell, Dr Maude Royden, and AA Milne, under the title ‘It’s different now’. The leaflet suggested that pacifists should abandon views they held previously and join the war effort.

Sir Arthur Eddington was one of the four equally prominent pacifists who explained in Peace News on Nov 8 1940, under the heading ‘It’s still the same’, why they had not…

28 September 2014Comment

The editors explain PN's upcoming internet tool

Have you ever been in this situation?

You’re in a grassroots, very-low budget campaigning group. You have a group website.

Then the person who set the website up – and who has been maintaining it – moves away, or they move onto another issue, or they withdraw from activism completely.

Suddenly, you find out no one knows what the passwords are, and you can’t actually use your own website. Or, if you do know what the passwords are, no one else in the group is…

28 September 2014Comment

Peace News had recently moved its main office out of London, as part of a strategy of changing the balance between its alternativist and ‘constructivist’ coverage on the one hand, and its involvement in more mainstream politics, on the other. Nevertheless, the paper found itself sucked into the defence of a group of activists – some closely connected with PN – who were facing the possibility of years in prison.

Six anti-militarists busted

Six pacifists were arrested in…

21 July 2014Feature

Causes and codicils

When it comes to making a will, we all quite rightly think of family first. But it’s also possible to leave a gift to a cause close to our hearts. If you are thinking of making a will, or amending one, we’d be really grateful if you would consider including a gift to Peace News.

Legacies have been enormously important for PN, including the £5,000 that Tom Willis inherited in 1958, which he decided to give to the paper, enabling it to buy the building at 5…

9 June 2014Feature

Your responses to our social audit questionnaire

Thank you to the 220 people who so generously responded to the questionnaire sent out with the last issue. We really appreciate your taking the time to give us feedback on what we’re doing. The questionnaire is part of a social audit that Peace News is carrying out, to evaluate what we’re doing, how far we’re achieving the goals we’ve set ourselves, and how we could better serve the community of people seeking positive social change in Britain and around the world.

There will be more…

9 June 2014News

On 17 May, 100 friends and colleagues of the British pacifist author and activist Howard Clark gathered at a ceremony organised by Peace News Trustees in Conway Hall, London.

At the close of the event, Howard’s daughter Violeta said that when she was asked at school what work her father did, she hadn’t known what to say – he seemed to do some teaching, some writing, some peace work: ‘I thank you because now I know.’

During the preceding two hours, we heard from friends and collaborators, including April Carter, Diana Francis, Bob Overy and Michael Randle, who testified to Howard’s intellectual capabilities, dedication, and talent as an editor.…

3 April 2014Comment

As we announced back in December, Peace News want to try out a one-year experiment, expanding the paper to 24 pages and reducing frequency from 10 times to six times a year, starting with this issue. Peace News Trustees, the parent company for Peace News, have asked us to produce this issue, which shows off some of our new ideas for a longer PN, and get your responses to the new format and frequency to help us decide whether this is really the right way forward.

The 24-page format…

17 March 2014News

For many of us, reading Peace News or attending Peace News events has sometimes had a significant impact in some way. We would be very grateful if you could send us your stories and views on what Peace News has done for you.

In 500 words or less, please tell us what Peace News means to you.

Has reading Peace News raised your awareness of new issues or changed your mind about something important? Has attending a PN event led to an important connection or initiative? Has the…

13 March 2014Blog

For many of us, reading Peace News or attending Peace News events has sometimes had a significant impact in some way. We would be very grateful if you could send us your stories and views on what Peace News has done for you.

In 500 words or less, please tell us what Peace News means to you.

Has reading Peace News raised your awareness of new issues or changed your mind about something important? Has attending a PN event led to an important connection or initiative? Has the content of the paper encouraged you to create or join a group, or to take part in new activities? Has it helped to meet the needs of your group or organisation? Have you helped to produce it or appeared in it…

1 November 2013News

100 attend People Power celebration

Over 100 people crowded London’s Cockpit Theatre on 13 October for a Peace News benefit celebrating the power of ordinary people to change the world. ‘Come out! We have you surrounded!’ featured the Songlines Choir, stand-up comedian Chris Coltrane, rebel poet Attila the Stockbroker, Hedgemustard (pictured above) and singer-songwriters @dogcatchicken and (final act) Tracey Curtis. Many thanks to indefatigable event organiser (and compère) Jon Lockwood. Roll on, next year!

1 November 2013Comment

Peace News gave wide coverage and support to the campaigning at Greenham Common which aimed to stop the new cruise missiles being deployed there; but it then became apparent that that phase of the campaign was not going to succeed.

The recent leaks about the arrival date of American cruise missiles at Greenham Common were followed last week by a series of transport planes bringing related equipment – though not it seems, initially, the missiles themselves. But even before the first planes arrived, nuclear disarmers were stepping up their opposition.

October 29 saw 1,500 women taking direct action at Greenham Common, where parts of the perimeter fence were cut down. On Monday October 31, the day of the…

1 October 2013Letter

What a spiffing bit of writing. Clear-sighted; good sense and properly angry; even good answers to the criticisms of summer colour camp.

Power to PN!

1 September 2013Feature

Book your tickets now for PN's benefit 'Celebration of People Power' on Sunday 13 October.

1 September 2013Comment

In this era, Peace News’s supportive coverage of feminist campaigns and of anti-sexist men’s groups was still sometimes controversial; it frequently led to continuing debate on the letters pages each fortnight. Here, Mark Ashmore joins in.

I read the letter from Mary Winter [who had accused men’s groups of being ‘the counter-attack on the Women’s Liberation Movement’] with anger, then amazement, and finally with sadness. It seems that not only do male readers not know much about the women’s movement but also some female readers not know much about ‘Men Against Sexism’.

‘Men Against Sexism’ (MAS) avoid the use of the term men’s liberation because it does sound arrogant and does not make clear the great…

8 March 2013News

Peace News author Ian Sinclair (far left) wove his magic in Peterborough on 26 February, talking to a goodly crowd of 23 (at the first public meeting held by the peace group for two years) about his new book about the 15 February 2003 anti-war demo: The march that shook Blair. Afterwards, Ian was interviewed by Peterborough Community Radio. Peace News Press launched the book on 15 February in Friends House, London, hosted by Quaker Peace and Social Witness, with a panel…